62.3 Perseverance

 62.3 Perseverance

Question:

Is being disabled a disgrace?

Answer:

Being disabled is not a disgrace to anybody; it is a disgrace not

 learning what should be learnt and lacking in perseverance.         (Couplet – 618)

பொறியின்மை யார்க்கும் பழியன்று அறிவறிந்து

ஆள்வினை இன்மை பழி.                                                      (குறள் – 618)

Explanation:

According to Valluvar, being disabled is not a disgrace. But being unwilling or indifferent to learning what should be learnt is a disgrace. Being disabled may not necessarily mean that an individual is incapable of learning or becoming successful in life. There are several examples of disabled people becoming successful and making significant contributions to society.

 

Despite the progressive neurodegenerative disease (known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) that has caused muscle weakness and paralysis throughout his adult life, Stephen Hawking (1942 - 2018), the British physicist, has made outstanding contributions to physics and cosmology. His book, A Brief History of Time, has been a best seller and has sold more than 10 million copies in the past twenty years.

Helen Keller (1880 – 1968) was a deaf, blind, and mute woman. Undaunted by her adversities, she fought an incredibly courageous battle to communicate with the outside world and led a life of accomplishments. She became one of the 20^th century’s leading humanitarians.

Demosthenes (384 BC – 322 BC), the famous Greek orator of the 4^th century B.C., had speech impediments in his early days. It is said that to overcome his disability, he used to talk with pebbles in his mouth and recited verses while running.